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What is Save Our Streams? Student and community member volunteers: Get trained in macroinvertebrate identification Monitor a stream 4 times a year Send results to the SOS database A Biological Stream Monitoring Program Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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Steps to Get Started 1. Choose training or a certified monitor 2. Locate a Stream Site 3. Review Safety Procedures 4. Collect Macroinvertebrates 5. Identify Macroinvertebrates 6. Record Data to Determine Stream Health You Are Ready to Save Our Streams Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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1. Choose: Training Certified Monitor or a Set up a 3-4 hour training session. In Virginia contact Carol Harlow of SOS at: , or LEEP has volunteers who are already certified. Contact Kathy Woodard at: , or com Or visit and choose “Methods” Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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2. Locate a Stream Site Find a stream in your area using maps. Visit mapquest.com, or call Va. Dept. of Mineral Resources to order $4 topographic maps. mapquest.com Ask the landowner for permission. Your county office will have maps that show who owns the land. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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3. Review Safety Procedures Bring a first aid kit One adult for every six children under 18 Work only in good weather Do not work on steep slopes or rapids Never drink stream water Do not handle sharp objects or broken glass Stay with the group & wash hands when done Never put hands or feet where you cannot see Watch out for snakes and other wildlife Modified from Conducting a Stream Cleanup – A How To Manual, VA DCR Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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4. Collect Macroinvertebrates Gather water insects and crustaceans with nets or sieves. Rub rocks to remove bugs. Keep in containers filled with water, so you can return them to the stream later. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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5. Identify Macroinvertebrates You may want to practice with the online identification key available at iwla/Stream-Studywww.people.virginia.edu/~sos- iwla/Stream-Study Print a field guide from to use at the stream. Click on your answer: Scientific drawings from Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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Mayfly Larva Mayfly Larva are very sensitive to pollution. Try Again No, sorry! That means if you had found one you would know your water quality was excellent, because they can only survive in clean water. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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Dragonfly Larva Continue Yes, great observation! Dragonfly Larva are somewhat sensitive to pollution. They can survive in clean, or moderately polluted water. At least you know your water is not very polluted. To see if it is clean or moderately polluted you would need to identify the other macroinvertebrates you found. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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Leech Try Again No, sorry! Leeches are not sensitive to pollution. They can survive in clean, moderately polluted, or very polluted water. So you would have to see what other macroinvertebrates you found to determine your water quality. Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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6. Record Data to Determine Stream Health or /~sos-iwla/Stream- Study/Methods/Form.HTML /~sos-iwla/Stream- Study/Methods/Form.HTML Data forms available at State of the York Watershed 2000 Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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You Are Ready to Save Our Streams! Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education

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Works Cited Mills, B. & S. State of the York Watershed VA DCR. Conducting a Stream Cleanup – A How To Manual. /Stream-Study Lessons from the BayVirginia Department of Education